Source of Putrid Smell Making Kids Sick at Florida School Revealed
A group of middle schoolers in Palm City, Florida, got an unexpected lesson in facilities management last week when the logistics surrounding a roofing project created an “unpleasant odor” that left some students feeling nauseated.
As People reports, parents of students at Hidden Oaks Middle School were alerted to a rotten situation that was disrupting the typical school day routine. On Wednesday, March 25, school administrators sent an alert to parents stating:
“We want to make you aware that maintenance crews are on campus today conducting a scheduled roof cleaning using a non-toxic spray that created an unpleasant odor, which lingered into some buildings, but caused no harm to students and staff. We sincerely apologize that families were not notified in advance and appreciate your understanding.”
But for some students, the stink was far from over. According to local ABC affiliate WBPF, at least four students were sent home early that day due to the stench, which the kids reportedly described as “rotten eggs,” “sewage,” and “death.”
One student called her parents around 10 a.m. and let them know she wasn’t feeling well. According to her father, “She came home, and she had a rash on her leg, and she was nauseous for a little bit.”
When his wife, Amanda, posted about the incident to a local parent group on Facebook, a fellow mom claimed that her child’s teacher had reportedly been throwing up in the classroom trash can due to the smell. She also said that the stench followed her daughter home and “was clinging to her [daughter ’s] body when she came home.”
However, the situation took an unsettling turn later in the day when the school’s principal, Christopher Forte, shared an update to note that the odor wasn’t from a spray at all—but seemed to be emanating from a portable toilet.
In a letter to parents, Forte wrote that, “Earlier today, we shared an initial message with you based on the information available at that time. Based on additional review, the odor appears to be associated with activity involving a portable restroom on campus that is part of an ongoing roofing project. The project is being performed by HiTech Roofing, and the unit was serviced by Coastal Waste and Recycling during the school day. The odor was described as sulfur-like.”
Forte assured parents that “Immediate steps have been taken to prevent a recurrence” and that the port-a-potty has been “relocated away from the building, and service to the unit will not occur during school hours.”
Out of caution, Amanda opted to keep her kids home from school on Thursday, telling WPBF: “It makes us feel unsafe to be able to send her back at this point right now because he [a school staff member] should have been evacuating those classrooms and calling the fire department or somebody to at least come and investigate.”
Amanda heard from other parents that the smell was still lingering on Thursday. A spokesperson for the school district told WPBF that they were monitoring the situation.